The present invention relates to a socket, particularly, an IC socket, for an electrical part or component, such as a semiconductor device (hereinafter, referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit) package), which holds detachably the electrical part.
As a conventional socket for an electrical part, which is capable of holding the electrical part, in order to put an IC package as the electrical part to a performance test, such as a burn-in test or other similar tests, there is a socket adapted to hold the IC package to be tested.
The socket for the electrical part has a socket body on which the IC package is mounted and a hold cover pivotally attached to the socket body. The hole cover is adapted to pivot downward so as to hold the IC package mounted on the socket body from an upper side of the IC package. A plurality of electrodes disposed to the IC package are so pressed, by a predetermined pressure caused by the hold cover, as to be welded to electrical conductive members disposed to the socket body.
However, in the conventional socket described above, the hold cover is adapted to pivot about a pivot pin or shaft (hereinafter, referred to a pivot pin) of the socket body and is not adapted to move vertically from an upper side of the IC package to a lower side thereof so as to hold the IC package. Therefore, since, while the hold cover pivots about the pivot pin, one portion of the hold cover adjacent to the pivot pin firstly presses the IC package and, after that, another portion of the hold cover adjacent to the pivot pin presses it, it is difficult to press the IC package simultaneously by the one and another positions thereof.
As a result, the portion of the IC package adjacent to the pivot pin of the socket body, which is firstly pressed by the hold cover, is subjected to a large pressure thereby deforming the electrodes disposed to the firstly pressed portion of the IC package and deforming the IC package itself, and therefore, there is a possibility that an IC chip included in the IC package is damaged.
Especially, in the socket for holding a large-sized IC package or a semiconductor device having a printed circuit board or a printed board (hereinafter, referred to printed circuit board) on which a plurality of IC chips are mounted and operative to one package, the above inconveniences of deforming the electrodes of the IC package and the IC package itself are remarkably exposed.